I’ll admit that I like the owner of my favorite team being like he is versus the extreme opposite which could be Jerry Jones in Dallas. I like the fact that Pittsburgh Steelers Team President Art Rooney II speaks softly and speaks seldom. I prefer an owner who hires people to run his team and then let’s them do just that – run the team. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have concerns. ARII, as he’s known to most of us, spoke to the beat writers yesterday in Pittsburgh. If it weren’t for social media most of us probably would have never known it as his soft demeanor is often equaled by his need for a lack of attention. In case you missed it, here are my thoughts on what he had to say.
On the OC
This was exactly what we’ve been discussing on the podcast. ARII cited the improvement of the offense in the second half of the season as the reason for Matt Canada returning. He also mentioned the importance of not saddling the young offense with a new coach and new system to learn. That’s where I immediately put my head in my hands in disgust. I understand what ARII is getting at with regards to learning a new offense but look around the league. Five of the 14 postseason teams this year have new offensive coordinators. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles all had new offensive coordinators and somehow managed to get into the playoffs.
Therefore, this idea that getting a new coordinator is ‘so difficult’ makes little sense to me. I wrote a week ago that Mike Tomlin is actually taking a risk here with retaining Canada because if this offense doesn’t get better and this team doesn’t get back to the postseason then he will actually be fanning the flames under his own rear end. The same can be said for ARII who – from his words yesterday – is also on board with this.
On Tomlin
Normally, when Mike Tomlin reaches the point where he has two years left on his current contract, Art Rooney II will give him an extension. When asked about it yesterday, ARII deferred.
Mike Tomlin has two years left on his contract and previously has been extended at such a juncture. Art Rooney II wouldn't comment on whether an extension is coming, saying he "doesn't like to speculate" on contract matters.
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) January 26, 2023
That of course can be taken numerous ways. Perhaps he feels Tomlin could use a little ‘motivation’ for the upcoming season? Maybe Tomlin himself has requested that he not get an extension yet? My guess is that an extension is coming at some point this offseason. I’d be pretty surprised otherwise.
On Neutral Site Conference Title Games
There was one thing I whole-heartedly agreed with ARII on and that’s this sudden idea to host AFC and NFC Championship Games at neutral sites. When asked about it he said he, “hates the idea” and good for him. We need the traditional owners to stand up to this money grab because that’s what it is. But to take it further than that, it also takes away from the home team’s economy. AFC Title games in Pittsburgh bring in millions of dollars to bars, restaurants, hotels etc. Some teams are already losing home games to play in Europe or Mexico.
Furthermore, this ‘idea’ is also about playing these games without the elements. With Chicago preparing to build an indoor stadium and others considering it, the NFL wants to remove the weather element. As a long-time and tradition loving fan. watching last week’s Bengals-Bills game warmed my heart. The Bills, despite losing, earned the right to host that game and I just can’t imagine teams playing so hard for home-field advantage, losing it for this crap.
All in all, we learned little from Art Rooney II and that’s fairly typical. While I don’t agree with the decision nor his take on Matt Canada, it is what it is at this point. He’s going to join Tomlin in looking like a genius or a fool this time next season regardless.
